


the future [ ON HOLD ]

by theofiiiinch



Series: the universe [2]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Outer Space, Post-Steven Universe Future, Road Trips, Sequel, connie said bi rights, steven said bi rights
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:47:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23952550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theofiiiinch/pseuds/theofiiiinch
Summary: a sequel to home!
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran & Steven Universe, Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe
Series: the universe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1726777
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	1. day one

Steven got back in the driver’s seat of the car, teary eyed. Connie sat in the passenger’s seat next to him, wiping a single tear from her eye. She looked over at her boyfriend, smiling and reached out a hand to wipe the tears from his eyes. 

“I’m gonna miss them.” Steven admitted, pulling onto the road. “I’m gonna miss it here.” 

“I know.” Connie replied softly. “I will too. But here’s to new adventures, right?” 

“To new adventures.” her boyfriend agreed, focusing his attention to the road. 

Connie grinned, putting her feet on the dashboard and rolling down the window. Her hair blew wildly in the wind and a laugh escaped her. She grabbed the map from the glove compartment and rolled up the window to keep it from fluttering and distracting Steven. 

“I think we should just go wherever the road takes us.” Steven said, noticing the map in her hands. 

“I agree.” Connie agreed. “I just want to be prepared for whatever happens.” 

Steven chuckled. “What if we followed Sadie and Shep like a bunch of groupies.” 

“Bold of you to assume that I haven’t already contacted Sadie to ask about their current whereabouts.” Connie said with a laugh. “They’re playing in Jersey tonight.” 

“Might as well see them perform.” Steven mused. “You missed them at the graduation. They were awesome!”

Connie smiled and circled Jersey in red ink on the map. 

Time passed slowly in the car. Steven did most of the driving while Connie played DJ or napped or looked out the window or read her book. Jersey was 5 hours away from Beach City, and even though the states were small and it was easy to go from place to place, it still felt like forever. They spent their time playing car games and fantasizing about the life they would have on the road and then after. Just as Connie started drifting off to sleep once more, Steven pulled into a parking lot. As he parked the car, Connie jerked awake. 

“What’s happening?” she asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes. 

“We’re gonna stop at this motel.” Steven explained. “It’s right outside of Jersey and we can drive into the city once it gets closer to the time of the show.” 

Connie nodded and opened up the passenger’s door. She got out of the car and immediately stretched her body, especially her legs. She heard the joints in her shoulders pop as she put her arms up above her head. Steven got out quickly after her, doing the same general movements. 

“I’ll go get us checked in.” he said, smiling at her. “Can you watch the stuff while I’m in?” 

“Of course.” Connie said, opening the trunk of the Dondai. 

Steven came back after checking in, and the two of them started to unload the car. They worked quickly, as it was hot out and they didn’t want to have to work for longer than they had to. They worked better as a team, Connie knew, but sometimes she wished she had something of independence. She loved Steven with all of her heart, but what would happen if the two of them split up? Was going on this road trip together a bad idea? She quickly shook the thoughts from her head as they entered the room. 

“Two beds.” she said, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice. 

“I figured your mom would’ve preferred it that way.” Steven said with a laugh. “Is that...okay with you?”

Connie flashed him a smile. “Yeah of course. Don’t worry about it.”


	2. fresh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> connie hangs out with sadie before the show

The two of them left the motel around 5:30 pm to ensure they’d get time to hang out with Sadie and Shep before they went on at 9:00. Connie had put her hair up in a ponytail to keep it out of her face, but even so she still pulled at it and rolled her eyes every time it got in her face. As the car made its way into Jersey, Connie looked over at Steven with a smile. 

“Are you excited to see them?” she asked. 

“Of course I am! It’s not like the last time I saw them I trapped them both in a force field and embarrassed the hell out of Sadie and Lars.” Steven replied with a laugh. 

“You’ve gotta stop beating yourself up about that.” Connie said. “But actually I’m excited to meet Shep. Maybe we’ll have a deep and meaningful conversation about sexuality and gender identity.”

“Or maybe you’ll have a conversation about sword fighting and being chaotic good?” Steven countered. 

“Shut up. You know those are my only two talking points.” 

Steven laughed, pulling into the small parking lot behind the venue. As he parked the car, Connie tapped her fingers on her thighs. They had all planned to meet at the venue, go out for a quick dinner, and then split off in pairs to explore the city. Steven and Shep had planned on going off together because he wanted to tell them about all of the coping skills his therapist had taught him. He knew they would be proud of him, so it was probably the best fit. Plus Connie wanted to get to know Sadie better. 

Connie and Steven got out of the car, and were immediately approached by Sadie and Shep. 

“Sadie! Shep!” Steven said with a laugh. He hugged Sadie and gave Shep a high five. 

“It’s good to see you Steven!” Sadie said. “I’m glad you brought Connie along on your trip. It’s nice to see you guys together again.” 

“Shep, this is Connie, my girlfriend.” Steven said, blushing. “Connie, this is Shep.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, Connie.” Shep said with a grin and a wink. 

Connie smiled warmly. “Nice to meet you too.” 

Once they’d all caught up over dinner, they split up in pairs. Steven and Shep made their way back to the venue to get caught up, Steven talking a mile a minute. Connie grinned at Steven’s outgoing behavior and excitable manner about him. 

“So you and Steven, huh?” Sadie said, interrupting her thoughts. 

“Oh, uh, yeah.” Connie replied, a blush creeping up on her cheeks. 

“Not surprised, to be honest.” Sadie admitted. “So what do you wanna do?” 

Connie found her hand reaching up to her hair. She was suddenly aware of how much of it she had. 

“I want a haircut.”

“I’m down.” Sadie chuckled. “Let’s get you a sick haircut!”

When Sadie and Connie left the hair salon, Connie’s usually long hair had been cut into a pixie cut. It felt….freeing to have a sudden lack of hair on her head. She wasn’t worried about how people would react, she just knew that she liked it and that’s what mattered. Sadie and Connie made their way back to the venue talking and laughing and exchanging Steven stories. 

When they got to the venue, they made their way backstage to find Steven and Shep in the green room. 

“Hey we’re back!” Sadie exclaimed, walking up and giving Shep a hug. 

“Hey you gu-” Steven started, sputtering when he saw Connie and her new hair. “C-Connie your hair.” 

“Do you like it?” Connie asked nervously, blush going up her neck. 

“Like it? I love it!” Steven gushed, running up and giving her a huge hug. “You look beautiful!” 

“Damn Connie you look great.” Shep chirped. 

“Thanks you guys!” Connie laughed, blushing even harder than before. 

“Told you they’d like it.” Sadie commented. 

Connie ran a hand through her newly cut hair as she and Steven went out from backstage, eager to watch their friends perform.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pixie cut connie pixie cut connie


	3. together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> basically everything that happens after the concert

Steven and Connie said goodbye to Sadie and Shep after their set, giving hugs and exchanging well wishes. The pair hopped in the car and drove off to their motel. Connie was sat in the front seat, as usual, feet propped up against the dashboard, hand out the window. She felt carefree and without worry, the first time she had felt like this in years. There was a comfortable silence in the car, the only noises coming from the Dondai and outside. 

“So….” Steven started, breaking the silence. “Why the haircut?” 

Connie shrugged. “I felt daring.” she admitted. “My hair has always been a security blanket of sorts for me. It covered up my imperfections. And I mean, I’m not going to be seeing anyone from school anymore, so why does it matter if my imperfections are on display?” 

“That’s what I love about you.” Steven mused. 

“Hm?” 

“You’re daring. You don’t care about what people think and when you do, you’re willing to find a way to say fuck it.” 

Connie felt a blush growing on her face. “Oh yeah yeah.” 

“It’s true!” Steven insisted. “You’re just so...incredible.” 

And with that, the conversation was over. Steven went back to concentrating on the road, and Connie continued to look out the window, still blushing. Steven reached over to turn on the radio and a cheesy pop song played from the speakers. 

“I love this song!” Connie squealed, beginning to mumble the lyrics. 

Steven laughed, blushing softly as Connie sang along to the love song that played. He hadn’t heard it, but that didn’t matter to him. What mattered was the fact that Connie was enjoying herself. 

When they got to the motel, it was 11:30 at night. The neon vacancy sign cast a greenish-yellow glow on the parking lot, reflecting on all the cars. It was oddly beautiful. Connie got out of the car before Steven, hurrying around the car to open his door. 

“My Diamond.” Connie joked, doing the Diamond symbol with her hands. 

“Terrible. I hate you.” Steven laughed, grabbing Connie’s hand and pulling her into him. 

“You know you love me.” 

“Oh yeah sure.” 

Connie pressed a kiss to Steven’s head, breaking from the hug to lead him to the motel room. The two entered the room and Steven immediately collapsed on the bed. 

“I’m tired.” he yawned. 

“I think I’m gonna shower before going to bed.” Connie said. “There’s still loose hair on my neck and it itches.” 

Steven chuckled. “Have fun. I’ll try not to fall asleep.” 

After a bit, Connie came out of the shower, hair sticking up at all sorts of odd angles. She wore one of Steven’s star shirts and pajama pants. She smiled at Steven, flopping on top of him. Steven grunted, but laughed. 

“Scooch over or I stay like this all night.” Connie jokingly threatened. 

“Okay okay!” Steven laughed, shifting over so that Connie could lay next to him. 

She rolled over and off of Steven, curling into his side. Steven wrapped his arms around her, and they both drifted off to sleep like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is so fluffy it made me so happy to write and it was so much fun i love them


	4. anger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> connie starts thinking about the road trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please accept some angst

“I think we should go west.” Connie said, looking at the map that was in her lap. 

“Why?” Steven asked. He wasn’t judging her, he just wanted to hear her reasoning. 

“I’ve heard the sunsets are beautiful.” 

“You’re adorable.” 

“We don’t have to go west,” Connie started, “I just think eventually we should end up in the desert for a night.” 

Steven chuckled. “West it is then.” he said. “I feel like we’ve seen a lot of the East Coast anyway.” 

The two had checked out of their motel that morning and had been on the road since. Connie checked her phone for the time. 12:00 pm. They’d been on the road for about three hours, and were just now figuring out where they wanted to go. This worried her, as she always wanted to be prepared for anything. There was part of her that trusted Steven wholeheartedly and knew that he’d get them where they wanted, but the other part of her felt anxious about the lack of planning. What if they got lost? What if they ended up not getting food to eat for too long? What if they found themselves trapped in the middle of nowhere with no resources? What if they got kidnapped and trapped in space with nothing but each other? Connie felt her thoughts begin to spiral, hundreds of “what if” scenarios flooding through her brain at once. Her leg began shaking, bouncing up and down on the floor of the car. She was so lost in thought that she hadn’t even noticed the car pulling to a stop on the side of the empty highway. 

“Hey are you okay?” Steven asked, yanking Connie from her thoughts. 

“Huh? Oh uh yeah.” Connie affirmed, putting a smile on her face. “Everything’s great.” 

“Connie…” Steven started. 

“Steven I promise I’m all right.” Connie insisted, though she didn’t believe it. 

“You’re shaking.” Steven pointed out. 

“Oh uh I’m just cold.” Connie said. “Give me two seconds so I can get a jacket.” 

Steven sighed as Connie grabbed a hoodie - his hoodie - from the backseat.

“Do you want me to drive?” Connie asked. 

“That’d be great, actually.” Steven admitted, getting out of the driver’s seat and into the passenger’s side. 

Connie slipped into the driver’s seat and started driving. She hadn’t done much driving, but she had a license so she was legally allowed to. Maybe driving would distract her from her anxieties, she had thought when she offered to drive. She had been wrong though, as her previous thoughts flooded back. She tried to focus all of her attention on the road, which made her driving seem almost aggressive. 

“Connie c’mon I know something’s wrong.” Steven said. “Please tell me what’s up.” 

“Steven I’m trying to drive.” Connie muttered, trying to keep her tone as neutral as possible. 

“No, Connie, we’re gonna talk about this.” her boyfriend insisted. “I’m not gonna let you bottle up whatever you’re feeling because you want me to be happy or whatever.” 

Connie let out a harsh laugh. “I’m fine, Steven. Seriously it’s fine.” she promised. “Even if I weren’t fine, it wouldn’t be about you.” 

“Ouch.” Steven muttered, looking out the window. 

An awkward and uncomfortable silence filled the car. Neither of them made moves to turn on music or talk to each other out of fear of getting into an argument. Connie began focusing all of her attention on the road while Steven looked out the window. She knew that she had upset him in more ways than one, but she couldn’t tell him how she was feeling. He was trying to get better; He had taken this road trip to get away from everyone in Beach City. That included her, right? He had wanted to get away from her too. 

“Do you wanna stop for lunch?” Steven suggested. 

“Yeah sure. We can have a picnic.” Connie agreed, driving off the highway and into a tiny rest stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> will connie ever talk about what she’s thinking? we just won’t know


	5. talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> talking about their problems

“So tell me what’s up.” Steven said, taking a bite of his granola bar. 

“I dunno what you’re talking about.” Connie deflected. 

“Connie…” 

“Okay okay fine.” she said, sighing softly. “I don’t know what to do without a plan. And I feel like since you left Beach City to get away from everyone, you won’t want me to be with you because I’m a constant reminder of everything. I mean, I’m supposed to be your knight! I’m basically everything you wanted to leave behind! I don’t even know why you brought me along…” 

“Hey now,” Steven started, “I brought you along because I love you and I want you to be with me during this. I want to grow and change with you. And we don’t need to worry about being prepared. If anything happens, we’ll be together.” 

“But what if…” Connie whispered. “What if you grow tired of me? Or I’m not able to help you?” 

Steven scooted closer to Connie, putting a hand on her face. 

“I could never grow tired of you.” 

Connie’s head dropped and she wiped a tear from her eye. “I-I just don’t want you getting hurt or anything. You’ve already been through so much.” 

“And I want to go through even more with you.” Steven said, lifting Connie’s chin so they could be looking at each other. 

Connie let out a choked sob. Steven wrapped her into a hug and she started crying even harder. They stayed like that until Connie’s tears subsided. 

“Dr. Phillips one time told me that it’s important to be there for people, but it’s even more important to be there for yourself.” Steven whispered. “You’ve always been my knight, but maybe you need to be your own knight for a change.” 

“What do you mean?” Connie asked. 

“I mean that I want you to start working on looking out for yourself too.” 

“Does that mean you want me to leave?” 

“No!” Steven said hurriedly. “Absolutely not! I want to keep road tripping with you, I just want you to help yourself when you’re upset. You also go through things too, and I want us to be able to support each other and ourselves.” 

Connie nodded, breaking from the hug. “I’m sorry.” 

“For what?” 

“All this.” 

She motioned to herself. 

“Hey hey hey I love all this! Flaws and anxiety and knighliness and all!” 

Connie giggled, running a hand through her hair. “Really?” 

“Of course I do, silly!” Steven said with a grin. “You’re my everything.” 

He put a hand on his girlfriend’s cheek and pulled her into a sweet and soft kiss. When they broke, Connie had a smile on her face. 

“Wow your healing powers are something else.” she joked. “I feel better now.” 

“Oh good.” Steven chuckled. “Do you wanna go back to the car and leave?” 

Connie nodded, standing up and grabbing Steven’s hand. “Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don’t worry there will be more angst to come


End file.
